Carpet-sweeper



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARPETSWEEPER.

Application led March 19, 193.8.

To all Awhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Frcitns, a citizen of the United States,residing at 1105 16th avenue, Altoona, in the county of Blair and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCarpet-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification. Y i

This invention relates to a car iet sweeper wherein the carpet iscleaned t rough the action of a fan rotating at high speed thus causingcurrent of air to fiow from beneath the sweeper to a receptacle or bagcarried by the sweeper for the .purpose of collecting the particles ofdust and foreign matter picked up from the carpet by the fan, and hasparticular reference to an improved means of causing the particles ofdirt and foreign matter to be separated from the carpet, thus enablingthe sweeper to more efficiently clean the carpet or floors over whichthe sweeper may be operated.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient carpetbeating means which acts upon the carpet immediately ahead of thesweeper, in such manner as to thoroughly separate the dirt and foreignmatter from the carpet to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient means foroperating the beater arrangement and to provide means for disengagingthe beater arrangement.

A still further object of this arrangement is to provide a housing forthe beater and the cam that operates the same together with means forlocking the cam out of engagement with the beaters.

With this and many other objects in view which will be more readilyapparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully illustrated, pointed out andclaimed.

It will be quite readily understood by those skilled in the art to whichthis in volition belongs that this invention is quite susceptible to awide range of structural modification without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention but a preferred and practical embodiment ofthe invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1is a front elevation of the present invention showing the beaters andcam in operative relation.

Specification of Letters Ea tent.

Patented J une 22, 1920.

Serial No. 283,521.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l together with anoutline of the fan and motor housing.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of one end of the beater device showingthe manner in which the beaters are attached.

Fig. 5 is anelevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. (S is a view showing the manner in which the beater links may beconnected.

Like reference numerals refcr to similar parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawings.

In carrying out this invention it is proposed to retain the essentialfeatures of the best type of modern sweepers as for instance the motorthe fan the dirt receptacle and the fan and motor housings, as these areall es sential to the operation of the present invention, but instead ofa rapidly revolving brush, which sweeps up the dirt, I prefer to use aplurality of beaters, as it has been found that the brushes areobjectionable and inefficient for the purpose intended while it has beenfound that by beating the carpet immediately ahead of the sweeper theparticles of dirt and dust are separated from the fiber of the carpetand are each drawn out, thus leaving the carpet in a cleansed conditionas compared with the same carpet over which the usual type of sweeper isoperated.

As previously indicated, a rotary brush in a vacuum carpet sweeper has amore or less destructive effect on the nap of the carpet, especially ifthe fibers of the brush are very stiff and the brush rotates at highspeed. However, the present invention proposes to retain the valuablefeature of loosening the surface dirt on the carpet or floor, butwithout the destructive effect due to the action of the rotary brush asabove set forth. A\ccordingly, the present invention contemplates theprovision of a nozzle device which may be fitted lo the usual vacuumproducing instrumcutalitics of the apparatus, and includes means forbeating the carpet for the purpose of loosening the dirt without anywearing effect on the nap or pile of the carpet. To this end it isproposed to employ a nozzle housingr 1 having a mouth or intake opening2 and provided with a flare 3 and attaching ears 4 for securing theentire nozzle to the fan housing 5 of the usual cleaner structure. Thisarrangement provides for eonvenientlv utilizing the fan shaft 43 andmeans fore Aertively supporting a rotary ram T which constitutes a partof the present invention. This earn is eli-arly shown in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawing and may he secured to the fan .shaft extension h v meansof a suitahle set sei-ew S or its equivalent.

Loeated in the mouth 2 of the nozzle deviee is a novel heaterarrangement` the saine heing carried hy the nozzle device in .surh a waythat it may he inserted and removed into the month of the nozzle as aunit. and when in position will he actuated h v the eani .sha ft Tpreviously referred to.

Referring to the novel features of this heater unit it will he oliservedthat the saine is mounted upon a carrier bar 9 which is adapted to beseen red hy means of the screws Nl or their etnivalent arross the mouth2 of the nozzle. `his carrier har 9 is provided with the opstanding lugsll and 12 which ronstitute supports for tuleruni pins 13 and l-l of alink eonsisting of a pair of operating levers i5 and iti. The inner endof the lever lf is preferahly hifureated as shown in Fig. e' and carriestherewith a pin 17 which is adapted to work in a slot 18 in the innerend of the lever 16 which is received in the hil'urrated portion of thelever l5. This arrangement atthe connected ends of the levers 1.3 and 1oprovides for effectively holding the same in alinement directly loenealhthe operating surface or periphery of the rain T, wherehy as the latterrotates the said levers may he given a vertical reciprorating movementas indieated by the dotted lines in Fig. l. The outer ends 15 and 16ELol' the levers 15 and 16 extend beyond the fnlrruin pins lll and i4 andare adapted to engage heneath the noses 19 of suitahle heater i'arryinghrarlnts 21.). which are Ot dnplirale eoustrurtion and pivotallysupported as at 2l upon the opstanding lugs 22 adjareut the oppositeends ofthe earrier har Si. As will he ohserved from Figs. l and L theseheater rarrying hrackets are each provided nith an offset supportingflange 23, and have serured thereto hy means of the fastening .srrew 2lor the like the `spring heater fingers or strip 25. As shown in Fig. Ilthe arrangement of the heater carrying liraeltets fl is such that theheater lingers :2.3 are oppositelyv disposed and are located on oppositesides1 of the earrier har 9.

For the purposfl ol l maintaining the linl eonsisting ol' the levers 15and 16 in operative engagement with the surfaee ofthe cam T. eaeh of'the supporting lugs l2 and 13 have also fitted thereto the invertedU-shaped straps 2&5 which .straddle the levers 15 and 1G and earrytherewith relatively stout Hat leaf springs 2T whose free ends 2S hearon top of the noses l) of the heater brackets.

rthe springs 2T therefore exert a downward tension on the noses 1S) olthe heater brackets with the result of maintaining the heater fingers 25in a normally horizontal position and also canse the pivotally eonneetedends of the levers l5 and 16 to yieldahly hear against the operatingsurface of the eani 7, because, of the fact that the noses 19 overliethe ends 15 and 16" of said levers.

For the purpose of rendering the heater elements inoperative when it isdesired to use the cleaner without them, it is proposed to employ aresiliently mounted rod or stem element 2.() whose outer exposed end isprovided with a foot engaging head 3U, while its inner end 31 is adaptedto engage with and depress one of the levers` 1G for insta nee, totherehy depress both of the levers so that their point of pivotalconnection will be held out of contant with the operating surface of the@am 7.

From the foregoing it will he apparent that when the nam 7 is rotatedthe levers 15 and 1G will he given a vihratory movenient which will inturn canse the heaters 25 to be raised and lowered very rapidly owing tothe construction described, thereby producing a thorough heating effectupon the surface to he cleaned.

l claim:

1. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a carrier har arrangedlongitudinally of the nozzle mouth, heater strips located on oppositesides of the har and rockahly supported at opposite ends thereof, andcani operated lever means for rocking said heater strips.

2. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a carrier har. heaterstrips located at opposite sides of the har, means for ivotally seeuringthe outer ends of the said heater strips to the har, a jointed link forengaging said means. and a eam for engaging the said link at the ljoint.

A, heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a har having lugs atopposite ends thereof. heater strips arranged in parallel relation tothe har on opposite sides thereof, hrarltets rarried hy one end of eachheater strip and pivotally attached to one of said lugs. springs carriedhy the har and engaging said hraekets to maintain the strips in theirnormal position, and cam operated means earried hy the har and adaptedto engage with said hraekets to operate the same against the tension ofsaid springs.

4. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a bar having lugs atopposite ends thereof. heater strips arranged in parallel relation tothe bar on opposite sides thereof, hraeltets carried hy one end of eachheater strip and pivotally attaehed to one of said lugs, springs carriedhy the har and engaging said brackets to maintain the strips in theirnormal position, and means carried by the bar for operating said beaterelements and consisting of a link including a pair of connected leversfulcrumed on the bar and having their free ends engaging said brackets,und a cam for engaging the apex of the link formed by the connected endsof said levers.

5. A beater unit for vacuum cleaners including a bar having paired `lugsadjacent each end thereof, beater strips arranged on opposite sides ofthe bar, brackets carrying said beater strips and pivoted on theoutermost lugs on seid bar, yoke members carried by the innermost lugson the ber, springs carried by said yoke members and engaging thebrackets for holding the beaters in their normal depressed position, anda link consisting of e pair of levers convergently disposed and looselyconnected at their meetlng ends and having their opposite ends engagingwith the brackets carrying the beater strips, and a cam for engagin theloosely connected ends of the levers o said link.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

W lLLIAM A. FICKES.

